Overall rank by patents
#1,402
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
WAL-MART STORES, INC.
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 301 granted patents across 64 technology areas, active 2015–2021. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: G06Q (INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,).
301
Total patents granted
64
CPC technology areas
17.8
Avg claims per patent
-99%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
WAL-MART STORES, INC. has been granted 301 US utility patents between 2015 and 2021, placing WAL-MART STORES, INC. at rank #1,402 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 64 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 17.8 claims per patent with primary concentration in G06Q (INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE,). As a US Corporation, WAL-MART STORES, INC. is one of the broader-portfolio assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 55.4/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.
Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 3 grants, compared with 298 in the 2015–2019 window — a -99% shift in five-year velocity. A cooling filing rate may reflect portfolio consolidation, shifting priorities, or reduced R&D throughput. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.
Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s 17.8 average claims per patent sits within the typical range for solid legal coverage without excessive prosecution cost, while a multi-domain presence across 64 subclasses balances depth with breadth. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark WAL-MART STORES, INC. against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does WAL-MART compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- Wal-mart Stores ◀ 301
WAL-MART STORES, INC.
301 patents
What this shows WAL-MART holds 301 patents — placing it at rank #1,402 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2021
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 74 | 24.6% |
| 2016 | 71 | 23.6% |
| 2017 | 93 | 30.9% |
| 2018 | 60 | 19.9% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0.3% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0.7% |
Which technologies does WAL-MART STORES, INC. patent most?
Top 15 of 64 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Moderate
Tech Breadth Multi-domain
Claim Depth Standard
Velocity Declining
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does WAL-MART STORES, INC. hold?
WAL-MART STORES, INC. holds 301 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2021, spanning 64 technology areas.
What is WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s Innovation Score?
WAL-MART STORES, INC. has an Innovation Score of 55.4 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does WAL-MART STORES, INC. focus on?
WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s top technology area is G06Q (INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR) with 172 patents. The company has filed patents in 64 CPC subclasses total.
Is WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s recent filing velocity is -99% compared to the prior five-year period. Filing activity has slowed relative to earlier years.
What does claim depth mean for WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s patents?
WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s patents average 17.8 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.
How is the WAL-MART STORES, INC. patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
G06Q technology
WAL-MART STORES, INC.'s primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where WAL-MART STORES, INC. ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
